The Turkish Riviera ( tr, Türk Rivierası), also known popularly as the Turquoise Coast, is an area of southwest

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

encompassing the provinces of

Antalya Antalya () is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish city on the Mediterranean coast outside the Ae ...

and

Muğla Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the District of Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of 660 m and lies at a dist ...

, and to a lesser extent

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar'', Ancient and Modern Greek: Τράλλεις /''Tralleis''/) is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of ...

, southern

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

and western

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and district governorates: Akdeniz, Mezitl ...

. The combination of a favorable climate, warm sea, mountainous scenery, fine beaches along more than a of shoreline along the Aegean and

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

waters, and abundant natural and archaeological points of interest makes this stretch of Turkey's coastline a popular national and international tourist destination. Among the archaeological points of interest are two of the

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity. The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2 ...

: The ruins of the

Mausoleum of Maussollos The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus or Tomb of Mausolus ( grc, Μαυσωλεῖον τῆς Ἁλικαρνασσοῦ; tr, Halikarnas Mozolesi) was a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC in Halicarnassus (present Bodrum, Turkey) for Mausolus, an ...

in Halicarnassus; and the

Temple of Artemis The Temple of Artemis or Artemision ( gr, Ἀρτεμίσιον; tr, Artemis Tapınağı), also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to an ancient, local form of the goddess Artemis (identified with Diana Diana most ...

Ephesus Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built i ...

. The Turkish Riviera is also the home of the internationally known

Blue Voyage Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obse ...

(a.k.a.

Caria Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined the ...

n Cruise), which allows participants to take a week-long trip aboard the local gulet schooners to ancient cities, harbors, tombs, mausolea, and beaches in the small coves, forests, and streams that are on the Turquoise Coast. The coastline is regarded as a cultural trove that provides background on a fascinating mixture of factual and mythological individuals, conflicts and events, and has frequently been referred to in the folklore of various cultures throughout history. As such, it is regarded as the home of scholars, saints, warriors, kings, and heroes, as well as the site of numerous well-known myths.

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingd ...

is said to have picked the Turkish Riviera as the most beautiful wedding gift for his beloved

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

.The Mediterranean Region of Turkey

at web.archive.org.

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day De ...

, who later became the basis of the

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

legend, was born in Patara, a small town close to present-day Demre.

Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria ( Italy). He is known for ...

, regarded as the "father of History", was born in Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus) in c. 484 BC. The volcanic mountains to the west of

, near

Dalyan Dalyan is a town in Muğla Province located between the districts of Marmaris and Fethiye on the south-west coast of Turkey. The town is an independent municipality, within the administrative district of Ortaca. Dalyan achieved international ...

, are believed to have been the inspiration for the mythical Chimera — the fire-breathing monster that Bellerophon slew.

Communities and settlements

Many cities, towns and villages in the area are internationally known, such as Alanya,

, Belek, Bodrum, Çeşme, Didim, Fethiye, Kalkan, Kaş, Kemer, Kuşadası, Marmaris, and Side. Notable places on the Turkish Riviera include: * Akbük * Akyaka *

Alaçatı Alaçatı is a part of İzmir on the Western coast of Turkey, often noted for its architecture, vineyards, windmills, and sea. Alaçatı is one of the most traditional towns in Turkey, with stone houses, narrow streets, boutique hotels and res ...

* Alanya *

Armutalan Armutalan is a town in Marmaris district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Although an independent municipality it is merged to Marmaris to the southeast. At , the distance to Muğla is . The population is of Armutalan is 17365 Beldibi * Belek * Beycik *

Bitez Bitez is a town in Bodrum district of the Muğla Province. Geography It is situated in Bodrum Peninsula at . It is almost merged with Bodrum which is just east of Bitez. It is a coastal town and a popular summer resort. The settled population of ...

* Bodrum * Bozburun * Çamyuva * Çeşme * Çıralı * Dalaman *

* Datça * Demre * Didim * Fethiye * Finike * Gazipaşa * Göcek * Gökova * Gümüşlük * Güzelçamlı * Hisarönü * Ilıca * İçmeler * Kalkan * Kaş *

Kekova Kekova, also named ''Caravola''Bertarelli (1929), p.134 ( Greek: '' Dolichiste''), is a small Turkish island near Demre (Demre is the Lycian town of Myra) district of Antalya province which faces the villages of Kaleköy (ancient Simena) ...

* Kemer *

Kızkumu Kızkumu is an area of 600 metre shallow water that divides this bay of Turkey into two and is part of Orhaniye District of the city Muğla in Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, ...

* Kumluca * Kuşadası *

Konyaaltı Konyaaltı is a district in the Antalya Province, Turkey. The name "Konyaaltı" (pronounced ), originates from the expression of "koy altı", which in the Turkish language means "the bay under the cliffs" . The district is situated beneath the ...

* Köyceğiz *

Lara Lara may refer to: Places * Lara (state), a state in Venezuela * Electoral district of Lara, an electoral district in Victoria, Australia * Lara, Antalya, an urban district in Turkey * Lara, Victoria, a township in Australia * Lara de los ...

* Manavgat * Marmaris * Milas *

Olympos Olympus or Olympos ( grc, Ὄλυμπος, link=no) may refer to: Mountains In antiquity Greece * Mount Olympus in Thessaly, northern Greece, the home of the twelve gods of Olympus in Greek mythology * Mount Olympus (Lesvos), located in Lesb ...

* Ortaca * Ovacık * Ölüdeniz * Ören * Özdere * Patara * Selimiye * Side * Simena * Torba *

Turgutreis Turgutreis is a town in Turkey about a 50-minute drive from Milas–Bodrum Airport. It is the second largest town on the Bodrum peninsula and is part of that district, in Muğla. The town is a popular holiday destination with 5 kilometres of ...

* Turunç * Türkbükü * Ulupınar *

Yalıkavak Yalıkavak is a town near Bodrum in Muğla Province, on the Aegean Region, Aegean coast of Turkey. It is from Bodrum, on the northern side of the Bodrum peninsula. Yalıkavak is surrounded by hills providing views of the town and surrounding Aeg ...

Gallery

File:Cesme-streets.JPG, Typical architecture of

File:Alanyafromcastle.JPG,

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

and harbour of Alanya File:Tip of the Alanya peninsula.jpg, Tip of the Alanya peninsula File:Yivli Minaret Mosque Antalya.jpg, Yivli Minaret Mosque, near the Gulf of Antalya File:Aspendos_Amphitheatre.jpg, Roman theatre in Aspendos,

File:Turkish.town.cesme.jpg,

of Çeşme File:Fethiye_2020-03-15-4.jpg, View of the Fethiye coast File:Myra Theatre.JPG, Roman theatre in Demre, where St. Nicholas lived File:Rock_tombs_(1091851058).jpg,

Lycia Lycia ( Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is t ...

n tombs in Fethiye File:Kelebekler_Vadisi_(1).jpg, Butterfly Valley, Fethiye File:Oludeniz.jpg, Ölüdeniz Beach, Fethiye File:Gelidonya_lighthouse.jpg, Cape Gelidonya near Finike is the site of the wreck of a

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...

n merchant ship from about 1200 BC File:Foça pictures 6.jpg, Port of Foça, home of the Mediterranean monk seal File:Ingiliz_limani_04510_-_6115.jpg, Traditional two-masted gulet schooner visiting a cove in Gökova as part of the Blue Cruise File:Sunken_City_Simena.JPG, Ancient sites of Kaleköy (or Simena) File:A street in Kaş.jpg, A street in Kaş with traditional houses and a

n tomb in the background File:Kemer beach, Antalya.jpg, Beach and marina of Kemer File:Kemerayisigi.jpg, Moonlight Beach in Kemer File:Kusadasi, Kuşadası-Aydın Province, Turkey - panoramio (5).jpg, A view of

Güvercinada Güvercinada (literally: Pigeon Island) is an island in western Turkey connected to mainland Kuşadası of Aydın Province via a relatively narrow, man-made causeway which is in length. Castle There is a castle on the island, which is situated a ...

island, Kuşadası File:Manavgat waterfall by tomgensler.JPG, Manavgat waterfall File:Marmaris harbor (aerial view), Muğla Province, southwest Turkey, Mediterranean.jpg,

and harbour of Marmaris File:48700_Karaca-Marmaris-Muğla,_Turkey_-_panoramio_(14).jpg, Karaca in Marmaris File:Cirali_-_panoramio_(1).jpg,

Beach File:Olympos_beach.jpg, Mt. Olympos (Mt. Tahtalı) was the namesake of the town of

File:Patara_Main_Avenue_2019.jpg, Ancient ruins in Patara File:Sunrise_apollo_side.jpg, The ruins of the Temple of Apollo, near Side File:Side TH au.JPG, Exterior walls of the ancient theatre in Side File:Ancient_Lycian_Tombs_-_2014.10_-_panoramio.jpg,

n tombs in Simena

Notes

{{Authority control Coasts of Turkey Seaside resorts in Turkey Landforms of Antalya Province Landforms of Muğla Province Landforms of Aydın Province Landforms of İzmir Province

Communities and settlements

Gallery

See also

Notes